Never Forget

He is believed to be the only American soldier held in captivity by the Taliban—and about three months ago he made a daring break for freedom.

One night in late August or early September, 25-year-old Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, of Hailey, Idaho, jumped from a first-floor window of the mud-brick house in Pakistan in which he had been imprisoned and headed into the nearby underbrush and forested mountains, according to three reliable militant sources who got the story from fighters who were present during the prisoner’s attempted escape. They spoke exclusively to the Daily Beast.

Bergdahl has been in militant hands since June 30, 2009, when he was captured in Afghanistan’s Paktika province by a guerrilla force under Mullah Sangin, a senior commander in the Taliban-affiliated Haqqani network. In a July 2009 video, the first of five videos that the militants have released, Bergdahl is sitting cross-legged on a blanket, with a glass mug in front of him. He explains that he was captured after falling behind on a foot patrol with his unit: the First Battalion, 501 Infantry Regiment, Fourth Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division. As he talks he stops several times so he can choke back tears.

I am embarrassed to admit that I didn’t know about this. For a number of years, I avoided, any and all, news about the military and the Iraqi/Afghani operations. The desire to still be in service was painful, and the constant barrage of bad news and casualty updates made me feel guilty that I was no longer able to assist. Well, at least I can assist in reminding people that SGT. Bergdahl is still a POW. The amazing Michael Yon has made an attempt to see SGT. Bergdahl, and even received emails from the Taliban captors.

In addition, two U.S. soldiers from the current operations are classified as “Missing-Captured.” Army Spec. Ahmed Altaie, an Army Reserve soldier assigned to Provincial Reconstruction Team Baghdad, allegedly was kidnapped in October 2006 while on his way to visit his family in Baghdad. The Pentagon changed his status from “Duty Status Whereabouts Unknown” to “Missing-Captured” in December 2006.

Army Pfc. Bowe Bergdahl, a member of the 25th Infantry Division’s 4th Brigade Combat Team, was captured in Afghanistan’s Paktika province on June 30, 2009. His status was changed to “Missing-Captured” on July 3, 2009 after the Taliban released video of him that was later authenticated by U.S. officials.

Because they are associated with ongoing operations, U.S. Central Command has lead responsibility for these efforts, Osorio said.

On Dec. 11, 2006, a casualty review board declared Altaie “missing – captured” after his disappearance in Baghdad, Iraq on Oct. 23, 2006. Altaie was the final missing soldier and casualty to be recovered from the Operation Iraqi Freedom/Operation New Dawn mission.